The Gur'net Warship was the first Cardassian warship to employ the medium phaser prototype. A small warship, the Gur'net was literally built around the two medium phasers it carried, one mounted above and another below the primary hull engineering section. The incredible amount of power the weapons required necessitated the shortest possible link between the weapon mounts and the ship's reactor. The spinal nature of the weapons greatly limited their firing arcs but this was seen as of little consequence to the Cardassians.

The Gur'net was the standard Cardassian warship for nearly two decades. Advances in compressor beam technology eventually supplanted phaser technology as a priority for the Cardassian Union. Without further research the medium phaser could not be miniaturized anymore than it had already been, so the weapon was eventually phased out of the fleet. When the first Galor Cruiser left the shipyards in orbit of Cardassia Prime the age of the Gur'net was over.

Since that time the Gur'net warships have been transitioning into a new role as second line support ships. Most received upgrades in order to extend their useful lives. Many Gur'nets now serve in a logistics role.